Signature stacking mechanism for package delivery



June 14, 1966 K. A. KLINGLER 3,255,895

SIGNATURE STACKING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY Filed June 10, 1963 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mimi /2 I.

INVENTOR.

K. A. KLINGLER 3,255,895

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 SIGNATURE STACKING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY INVENTOR hr/ A Hwy/Ir, WJ/i/r ['zr/zr ##arweya:

June 14, 1966 Filed June 10, 1963 June 14, 1966 A. KLINGLER SIGNATURE STACKING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 10, 1965 I N VEN TOR.

A f/orzlzyn June 14, 1966 K. A. KLINGLER 3,255,395

SIGNATURE STACKING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY Filed June 10, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

June 14, 1966 K. A. KLINGLER 3,255,895

SIGNATURE STACKING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGE DELIVERY Filed June 10, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,255,895 SIGNATURE STACKIN G MECHANISM F-GR PACKAGE DELIVERY Karl A. Klingler, Frankenthal, Pfalz, Germany, assignor to Klingler Development Company, Inc, Naperville, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 10, 1963, Ser. No. 286,840 Claims. (til. 214-6) This invention relates to improvements in signature stacking mechanism for package delivery and is especially adapted to receiving successive signatures from a press, collecting them at a rapid rate of speed, aligning them to form a pile or stack and then removing the package thus formed to a delivery point while a subsequent package is in process of formation.

One object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will receive a continuous How of signatures ona conveyor, stack them and automatically move the stack to a point from which it can be removed for further treatment without substantially interfering with the flow of the signatures.

Another object is to provide means for intermittently, without substantially interfering with the flow of signatures, forming successive stacks of signatures for further treatment. a

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

The speed at which a press and associated mechanisms discharge signatures for packaging or assembling has in recent years been greatly increased and there is a great need for automatic mechanisms which will receive these signatures, form them in a proper package or pile and then get them out of the way to a discharge point so that the package may be further treated or handled. In the past, this removal has been accomplished by hand with much waste and inaccuracy. The proposed mechanism receives one signature after another drops it onto a pile, squares the package and when the proper number of signatures have been fed out, the package is removed to leave a place for the formation of another package.

This is an improvement based on the co-pending application Serial No. 165,577, filed January 11, 1962, now abandoned.

The result is accomplished by the use of two trays, tables, or platforms, one, the receiving .tray movable for part of its excursion vertically and along an arcuate path during the remainder of its excursion, the other, the delivery tray or table, movable only vertically.

The two trays are comb like. The receiving tray is presented to the loading station where as each signature is released, it falls by gravity onto a pile as the tray moves downwardly in accordance with the rate of supply of signatures. As the pile or package builds up gradually each signature falls substantially the same distance onto the top of the package. I

The slow vertical, downward movement of the receiving tray in consonance with the build up of the pile continues until the fingers of the receiving tray pass downwardly through the delivery tray between the fingers thereof, at which time the delivery tray picks up and supports the pile of signatures and starts to move downwardly at the same speed as the slow speed of the receiving tray. The receiving tray immediately runs away from the delivery tray, travels about its arcuate path and returns to a ready position at substantially the same level as but spaced laterally from the loading or signature receiving station. Meanwhile the delivery tray continues its'downward path until the desired height of signatures is built up. At that point the delivery tray accelerates in its downward movement, lowering the pile below the dis- 3,255,895 Patented June 14, 1966 the transferstation at which it will receive the load from the receiving tray.

All movement of the delivery tray is vertical. Movement of the receiving tray between the loading and transfer stations while it is carrying signatures is vertical but its movement between the transfer and loading stations through its position in readiness is arcuate.

The delivery tray is constrained to vertical movement by a track along which it travels. The receiving tray is restrained to vertical movement by a track along which it travels during the time that it is receiving and supporting the signatures and during its entire excursion it is maintained in horizontal position.

A continuous flow of signatures will be delivered on a conveyor belt, each one just above the signature in front of it. Each signature will thus be presented to a suction belt which will pick up the forward edge of the signature, carry it alonguntil its rear edge is released just above the jogging table. A horizontal support immediately below the path of the signature will support the rear end of the signature and vacuum hold. on each signature will be released as the signature clears the horizontal support. The suction belt will have a series of successive suction cups or openings such as disclosed in Klingler Patent No. 2,969,869, the signatures being spaced apart so that each signature is engaged by the cup or cups in line, if more than one, across the belt. As each cup reaches the discharge point, its vacuum is broken and the signature drops onto the pile. Each signature in succession is thus free to drop down upon the tray or stack. The thickness of the signatures is known and downward table travel may be adjusted so that as the table is filled, it moves downwardly in consonance with the rate of supply of signatures, the table itself remaining horizontal.

This process continues until the desired number of signatures have been fed to the pile and the delivery tray is fully loaded. The supply of signatures to the pile will be interrupted for the instant necessary for the tray to move the pile downwardly far enough for the receiving tray to be moved from its position of readiness to the loading position where it may again receive the signatures.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation with parts omitted;

FIGURE 2 is a detail vertical section along the line 22 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the stripping belts and associated partswith parts omitted;

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic showing of the delivery tray during its downward slow motion, the receiving platform being in position of readiness;

FIGURE 6 is a diagram showing the delivery platform at the transfer station as it starts its high-speed downward motion;

FIGURE 7 is a similar diagram showing the receiving platform picking up signatures as it moves slowly down, the delivery platform at the discharge station depositing the pile on the delivery belt;

FIGURE 8 is a diagram showing the delivery platform returned tothe transfer station at its starting position and the receiving platform approachingit;

FIGURE 9 is a diagram showing both platforms at the s transfer station, the receiving platform transferring its load to the delivery platform;

FIGURE 10 is a diagram showing the delivery platform on its way down in slow motion with the receiving platform returning rapidly along an arcu'ate path toward its position in readiness.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughoutthe specification and drawings.

The machine frame 10 has a base 11 and leveling screws 12. Extending outwardly from the frame 10 is a signature conveyor frame 13. It supports the discharge end of a signature feed belt 14 which feeds signatures shingle fashion as shown in FIGURE 2 to the stacking mechanism with each signature just a little ahead of the signature below it. This signature feed belt delivers the signatures to an intermediate conveyor belt 15. The pressure belt 16 downwardly inclined toward the belt so that as the signatures are fed onto the belt 15, they are pressed and gripped between the belts to squeeze out any air which may be trapped between the signatures and present them in a relatively compact continuous stream as they pass onto a supporting belt 17 which takes them past a counter 18, the finger of which touches each individual signature and counts it.

The signatures are held against the vacuum belt 19 by the belt 17. The principle of operation is generally the same as that disclosed in Klingler Patent No. 2,969,869, issued January 31, 1961 for Vacuum Delivery Belt wherein the belt picks up individual sheets and conveys them to a desired located and then releases the sheet. The details form no part of the present invention and are not illustrated.

Each individual signature is gripped by vacuum cup or cups on which a vacuum is drawn as the belt 19 goes forward until a point is reached at which the vacuum is broken to drop the signature. This happens as the signature clears the discharge end of the belt 17, the unsupported signatures thus drop horizontally to the receiving platform or collecting tray 20. The tray consists of a plurality of parallel horizontal comb like fingers 21 and as signatures fall upon the tray, the tray moves vertically down in consonance with the rate of discharge of the signatures until the forks or fingers 21 pass through the discharge or delivery tray 22 between the fingers 23 of the delivery tray, thus transferring the load. The delivery tray supporting the pile of signatures 22a moves thereafter slowly downward in consonance with the feed of signatures as the height of the pile increases. The receiving tray 20, however, having in its vertical path passed below the delivery tray and transferred its load thereto now follows an arcuate path at higher speed until it reaches at the top of its excursion as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 its position of readiness ready to resume its full line loading position at the proper time.

As soon as the pile carried by the delivery tray 22 has reached the correct height, the tray moves rapidly down until its fingers pass between the parallel, horizontal discharge belts 24, thus transferring the pile of signatures to the belts which carry it to the left out of line with the discharge tray. At the time that the discharge tray starts its rapid movement downward, the collecting tray snaps into its dotted line loading position, ready to take the signatures as they fall.

After the discharge belt 24 has carried the pile of signatures out of line with the discharge tray the pile contacts the switch 80 to cause the delivery tray to return to the transfer position.

The fall of signatures toward the tray is interrupted for an instant to give time for the delivery tray to move away and for the receiving tray to resume the loading 1 position in the same manner as is illustrated in the copending application above referred to.

In FIGURE 2 is shown the continuous belt of shingle -wise arranged signatures at 25 and at 26 is illustrated a single signature which is released by the vacuum as it escapes from the belt 17. The individual single signature strikes the stop 27 to arrest its horizontal movement and square it up with the pile on the tray 21).

'Rising upwardly from the base 11 are bearing brackets 28 which support pivot shafts 29, 30 on which are pivoted upwardly extending rocker arms 31, 32, supporting at their upper ends the horizontal walking beam 33, which holds them in parallelism independent of their angular position. Rotatable on the walking beam 33 is a crank arm 34 from which extends laterally a shaft 35 which carries the fingers 21 of the receiving or collecting tray 20.

The drive shaft 36 rotatable in the brackets 28 drives a gear 37 in mesh with a gear 38 on shaft 39 rotatably mounted in the spacer 40. The spacer, pivoted on rocker arms 31 and 32 is parallel with the walking beam 33. Positive drive belt 41 driven by the pulley 42 which is rigidly connected to gear 38, positively drives the pulley 43 on the rotatable shaft 44 which carries the crank arm 34. A pulley 45 keyed to the walking beam 33 carries the positive drive belt 46 which travels over the pulley 47 keyed to the shaft 35 so that as arm 34 rotates about the walking beam, the shaft 35 gyrates with the tray 20 about the shaft 44, the tray being held in horizontal position.

In the position shown in FIGURE 2, the crank arm 34 is pressed against the track 4-8 which passes between two of the fingers 21 so that as the crank arm 34 rotates in a clockwise direction, the shaft 35 which thus cannot move to the right, travels downwardly along the track 48 camming the parallel motion group which includes the. walking beam 33 and rocker arms 31, and 32 to the left until the crank arm 34 approaches the horizontal. Meanwhile the cam 49 follows the roller 50 as it moves to the left to lock the walking beam and associated group in maximum left hand position. Thus the crank arm 34 carrying with it the tray 20 is enabled to travel along its arcuate path back to the dotted line position of readiness shown in FIGURE 2.

The air piston assembly 51 working on lever arm 52 holds the cam in locking position until as will subsequently appear, it is released to permit the tray 20 to move to the full line position of FIGURE 2 in its signature receiving station. The spring 53 holds the roller 50 against the cam 49 until such time as the cam is rotated to permit return of the tray to the receiving station.

Parallel vertical tracks 54 guide the fingers 23 of the delivery tray 22 along vertical paths. Belts 55 traveling over pulleys 56, 57 cause the delivery tray fingers 23 to move up and down in consonance with the remainder of the operation as will hereafter appear.

Each delivery tray finger 23 is connected to an associated belt 55. The belts travel over pulleys 56 and 57. The gear motor 59 drives the shaft 58 for upward movement only of the tray 22. The clutch 61 transmits power for upward movement but is released for downward movement of the tray. The drive train 63 between the gear box 62 and shaft 58 provides the power for down movement of the tray.

The conveyor belts 24 at their delivery ends pass over the conveyor belt drive pulleys 64, are supported by idler pulleys 65 pressed yieldingly upward to support the upper strand of each belt, and adjacent the path of the tray 22 travel over the idler pulley 66. The pulleys 64 are mounted on and driven by the drive shaft 67 which in turn is driven by the drive chain 68 from the drive shaft 69 through drive train 76 from the gear and gear box 71 actuated by the high speed motor 72.

The drive means for the belts 14, 16, 17 and 19 and the means for drawing a vacuum on the belt 19 are not illustrated in detail as those details form no part of the present invention herein disclosed. The gearing and clutches associated with the high speed motor 72 furnish the power for high speed movement of the crank arm 34 between the time at which the receiving tray has transferred its load onto the delivery tray up to the time when the receiving tray is at rest in the ready position. When the cam 49 is released, the spring 53 snaps the receiving tray into its signature receiving position. Thereafter the 'low speed motor 73 through the drive train shown diagrammatically at 74 in FIGURE '1 rotates the crank arm 34 in a clockwise direction, thus moving the receiving tray downwardly guided by the vertical track 48 until it passes through the delivery tray. At that point the low speed motor is disconnected from the shaft 36, and is connected through gear box 62 and gear train 63 to the shaft 58 for slow speed downward movement of the delivery tray at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray. As soon as the pile of signatures has reached a desired height, the drive for the shaft 58 is disconnected from the slow speed and connected to the high speed motor for rapid movement of the delivery tray downward to its transfer station at the belt 24. At the same time the high speed motor connected to the shaft 36 to rotate it rapidly back to the position of readiness. When power is disconnected and the crank arm 34 with the receiving tray 20 are ready to snap into the signature receiving position under the influence of the spring 53.

Referring to FIGURES 5 to inclusive, the rocker arms 31, 32, the walking beam 33 and the crank arm 34 are illustrated by straight lines. In FIGURE 5, the delivery tray 22 is approaching the limit of its downward slow movement and the finger 76 projecting from a part of the tray is about to contact the switch 77, to start the rapid downward movement. In FIGURE 6, such contact has occurred and the rapid downward movement of the tray 22 has started. Immediately thereafter the cam 49 will release to permit the receiving tray to snap into the position shown in FIGURE 7/. The receiving tray in that figure is shown with the commencement of accumulation of a pile of signatures. At the same time the package 22a has been placed upon the belt 24 and the tray 22 goes-on to actuate the switch 79 to stop its downward movement. left to clear the tray it contacts the switch 80 to cause the gear motor 59 to raise the tray 22 up to the transfer position shown in FIGURE 8 where it contacts the switch til to disconnect the drive and leave the tray 22 in the transfer position ready to receive a load from the receiving tray which is shown in FIGURE 8 on its way down toward the transfer station.

In FIGURE 9 the receiving tray 20 has contacted the switch 82 to start the downward slow movement of the tray 22 and the gyratory movement of the tray 20 which is shown taking place in FIGURE 10.

When the delivery tray is about to start its downward movement the vacuum belt stops moving for an instant. At the same time the fingers 83 are thrust forward to intercept the fall of signatures. As the pile of signatures moves downward the receiving tray 20 is thrust into the position in FIGURE 7, the vacuum belt resumes its movement and the fingers are withdrawn. The signatures continue to move forward and the time during which the vacuum belt is arrested is so small that the flexibility of the signatures compensates for any pile on. During the time required for the receiving tray to snap .into posi-' tion, as the vacuum belt runs, one or two signatures may pile up on the fingers. Again, no harm is done and as soon as the fingers are withdrawn, the signatures released fall upon the pile and the operation continues. The fingers are close to the vacuum belt but there is enough clearance between them and the belt for a few signatures to pile up and the fingers of course are always above the re ceiving tray.

The belt 17 which brings the signatures to the vacuum belt 19 comprises a plurality of parallel horizontally dis- When the package 22a has moved to the posed side by side strips or ribbons which support the signatures. Fingers 83 beneath the upper part of the belt are supported on a cross head 84 actuated by a pneumatic piston 85. Under normal operating conditions these fingers are held adjacent the discharge end of the belt 17.

The shaft driven by the motor 72 through the gear box 71 and belt 91 supplies power for the transmission box 62 from the high speed motor. The shaft 92 through the drive chain 93 supplies power from the low speed motor to the gear box 62.

The clutches and gears in the transmission or gear boxes are conventional. The various switches which actuate those clutches to provide the desired sequence of operation are conventional. Their details form no part of the present invention and in the interest of clarity to avoid unnecessary complication of drawings and specification, those details are omitted. The same is true of the wiring diagram which is purely conventional and which would add nothing to the understanding of the operation.

The general operation of the device is as follows: A ribbon or stream of signatures from a press move forward to and are picked up by the vacuum belt. The vacuum belt conveys them one after the other to a receiving station. Each successive signature is dropped by the belt one after the other at the same point so that the signatures fall vertically onto a receiving tray or platform in the receiving station. This tray or platform moves slowly downward in consonance with the rate of supply of signatures until it reaches a transfer station. At that point, the forked fingers of the receiving tray pass through similar forked fingers of the delivery tray and transfer their load to the delivery tray. At that instant the delivery tray previously at rest starts downward movement at the same rate as the initial downward movement of the receiving tray. Thus no interference with the deposit of signatures on the delivery tray occurs.

As soon as the receiving tray has transferred its load to the delivery tray, it moves rapidly along an arcuate path away from the transfer station until it stops at its position of readiness, the receiving tray as it gyrates being held in a horizontal position.

As soon as the stack or pile of signatures on the downward slow moving discharge or delivery tray has reached the desired height, the receiving tray speeds up in its downward path. Meanwhile fingers are thrust out to intercept the downward falling signatures long enough so that the receiving tray may snap into the receiving position. At that point the arresting fingers are withdrawn and the signatures again fall forward toward the receiving tray.

The delivery tray moving rapidly downward, no longer receiving any more signatures, passes through the discharge belt at the transfer station and transfers its load to the delivery belt. The delivery tray rests until the pile of signatures have been drawn by the belt out of register with it; the pile of signatures then actuate the switch to cause the delivery tray to move up to the transfer station ready to receive its next load from the receiving tray.

The controls causing the various operations and transfer of power between the various motors are as indicated provided by gear boxes or transmission box containing gears and clutches. The operation of the clutches is electrically controlled, the movement of the various elements above referred to actuating the electric control switches in the sequences above set out.

The conveyor frame 13 and the associated parts might be omitted and the signatures would then be fed directly to the supporting belt 17.

I claim:

1. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for hold-ing it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray being adapted as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station.

2. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray being adapted as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing for a predetermined distance, means for thereupon increasing the rate of speed of the delivery tray and moving the receiving tray from the position of readiness into the receiving station.

3. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto,

means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing for a predetermined distance, means for thereupon increasing the rate of speed of the delivery tray and moving the receiving tray from the position of readiness into the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing until it reaches a delivery station, means at the delivery station for moving the pile away from the delivery tray, laterally out of the path thereof and means for thereafter returning the delivery tray to the transfer station.

4. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing for a predetermined distance, means for thereupon increasing the rate of speed of the delivery tray and moving the receiving tray from the position of readiness into the receiving station,

means for interrupting the delivery of signatures to the receiving station during the interval between the in crease of speed of the delivery tray and the movement of the receiving tray into the receiving position.

5. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing for a predetermined distance, means for thereupon increasing the rate of speed of the delivery tray and moving the receiving tray from the position of readiness into the receiving station,

"means for interrupting the delivery of signatures to the receiving station during the interval between the increase of speed of the delivery tray and the movement of the receiving tray into the receiving position,

said means including horizontal fingers and means for moving them horizontally into and out of register with the receiving station.

6. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray along an arcuate path out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station.

7. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray along an arcuate path out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

means for holding the tray horizontal during such movement.

8. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray being adapted as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the trays being forked, the fingers on one tray being in line with the space between the fingers on the other to permit passage of one through the other.

9. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism including a horizontally disposed receiving tray mounted for vertical movement below a receiving station, means for delivering successive signatures to the station to form a pile on the tray, means for moving the tray downwardly in consonance with the delivery of signatures, a delivery tray, means for holding it at rest in a transfer station in the path of the receiving tray, the receiving tray and the delivery tray having interlocking fingers whereby the receiving tray is able as it moves downwardly to pass through the delivery tray and transfer its pile thereto, means for thereupon moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the downward movement of the receiving tray, means for thereupon moving the receiving tray out of the path of the delivery tray and returning it to a position of readiness adjacent to but out of line with the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing until a pile of predetermined height has been built up, means for thereupon increasing the rate of speed of the delivery tray and moving the receiving tray from the position of readiness into the receiving station,

the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing until it reaches a delivery station, means at the delivery station for moving the pile away from the delivery tray, laterally out of the path thereof and means for thereafter returning the delivery tray to the transfer station,

the means for moving the pile away from the delivery tray comprising a plurality of belts, the tray 'being forked to permit the fingers thereof to pass between the belts as the tray passes through the delivery station.

10. A signature stacking and delivery mechanism which includes means :for discharging successive horizontally disposed signatures for free fall in a receiving station, a horizontally disposed receiving tray adapted to receive and accumulate a stack of signatures, means for propelling the tray downwardly in consonance with the rate of signature supply to a transfer station, the trays being forked so that the receiving tray may pass through. the stationary delivery tray, means for moving the delivery tray vertically downwardly at the same rate of speed as the receiving tray, such movement commencing as the receiving tray passes through the transfer station, means for moving the receiving tray from the transfer station along an arcuate path to a position of readiness immediately adjacent to and at one side of the delivery station and means for holding it in such position, the downward movement of the delivery tray continuing until a stack of the desired height is built up, means operative after the completion of the stack for accelerating the downward. movement of the delivery tray and conveying it to a delivery station, a conveyor belt in the delivery station adapted to receive the stack as the delivery tray passes through the station, means for actuating the belt to remove the stack laterally to one side of the delivery tray.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,033 1/1926 Reichel 2146- 2,730,247 1/1956 Lawson 2146 2,819,661 1/1958 Howdle 93-93 3,088,604 5/1963 Nilsson 2146 FOREIGN PATENTS 852,005 10/1960 Great Britain. 888,350 1/1962 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiner. 

1. A SIGNATURE STACKING AND DELIVERY MECHANISM INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED RECEIVING TRAY MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT BELOW A RECEIVING STATION, MEANS FOR DELIVERING SUCCESSIVE SIGNATURES TO THE STATION TO FORM A PILE ON THE TRAY, MEANS FOR MOVING THE TRAY DOWNWARDLY IN CONSONANCE WITH THE DELIVERY OF SIGNATURES, A DELIVERY TRAY, MEANS FOR HOLDING IT AT REST IN A TRANSFER STATION IN THE PATH OF THE RECEIVING TRAY, THE RECEIVING TRAY BEING ADAPTED AS IT MOVES DOWNWARDLY TO PASS THROUGH THE DELIVERY TRAY AND TRANSFER ITS PILE THERETO, MEANS FOR THEREUPON MOVING THE DELIVERY TRAY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY AT THE SAME RATE OF SPEED AS THE DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE RECEIVING TRAY, MEANS FOR THEREUPON MOVING THE RECEIVING TRAY OUT OF THE PATH OF THE DELIVERY TRAY AND RETURNING IT TO A POSITION OF READINESS ADJACENT TO BUT OUT OF LINE WITH THE RECEIVING STATION. 